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J. G. JONES.

COATING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED APR. I5., |918.

Patented Sept. 23, 1919.

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COMING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. l5, 191s.

Patented Sept. 23, 1919.

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@y 'W/ /f ATTORNEY J. G. JONES.

COMING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.15, Isla.

Patented Sept. 28, 1919.

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ATTORNEY J. G. JONES.

l COATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATloN FILED APR.15, Iglu.

1,317,138. Pafentedsept.2,1919.

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E STATES PATE FFICE.

JOHN G. JONES, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO EASTMAN KODAKCOMPANY,

OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

COATING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 23, 1919.

Application yled April 15, 1918. Serial No. 228,702.

Be it known that I, JOHN G. JONES, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin CoatingApparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactspeciication.

This invention relates to apparatus for the manipulation ofvapor-evolving compositions such as plastic or coating compoundscontaining volatile solvents. Since my invention finds an importantapplication in the coating arts, like varnishing, lacquering, painting,etc., I shall describe such lan a plication of it.by way ofillustration, but 1t will be understood that my invention is not limitedto this particular example except as indicated in the claims.

One object of my invention is to provide an "apparatus in vwhich theevolved vapor will be recovered or condensed under eflicient conditionsbut without preventing proper and easy manipulation of the vaporevolvingcomposition. Another object of thel invention is to provide anVapparatus in which the composition may be readily seen and manipulatedby an operator without the latter being brought into injuriouscontactwith the vapor. A still further object of my invention is toprovide a coatitig chamber 1n a wall of which there is loca asubstantially gas-tight but shiftable device `which permits convenientmanual access to the interior thereof, even throughout an y extendedzone, without the admission of undesirable amounts of air. Yet anotherobject is to provide an apparatus in -which F 2 is a plan view of thesame;

Fig. 3 is a detail end elevation showing part of the gearing associatedwith the chamber;

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view on the line 1 -l of Fig. 1, partsbeing broken away;

F 1g. 5 is an end elevation of the coating or manipulating chamber withits associated mechanism;

Fi 6 is a transverse sectional view of the cha-m er taken on the line6--6 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a frame in which is fastened work to beoperated upon, parts being broken away;

Fig. 8 is a ydetail sectional view on the line 8 8 of Fig. l;

F ig.' 9 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the embodiment of myinvention in which the manipulating chamber is connected with acondenser;

Fig. l0 is a detail sectional view taken on line 10-10 of Fig. l1;

Fig. 11 is a detail sectional view on line 11-11 of Fig. 10;

Fig.l 12 is a detail perspective of a spring part.

In varnishing, lacquering, painting and similar operations wherevolatile solvents are given off during drying, their vapor is frequentlyallowed to escape and become wasted. The coating is generally performedby hand in an open room or in a chamber which is open on one side togive the workmen manual access to the interior. yIf it be attempted towithdraw the vapor from such room or chamber and treat it for recoveryof the solvents, a large amount of air will dilute it and thus make therecovery inefficient and uneconomical. My problem has, therefore, beento combine with a condenser a coating chamber, which will besubstantially gas-tight and yet will ermit a workman, located outsidethe cham er, to have manual access to the coating zone in the chamber.The practically undiluted vapor from such a tight chamber is, of course,easily condensed. The problem has been particularly difficult to solvewhere the objects to be coated are of such shapes or sizes that thecoating must be performed throughout an extended area or zone. Mypresent solution of the problem is adapted to meet this diiculty and Ihave, therefore,

' a mais@ y tion. The side walls 10 of thecasing chosen as theillustrative embodiment of my invention an apparatus in which longnarrow aeroplane wings are coated.

In some instances the evolved vapors may be poisonous and it is highlyimportant to withdraw them so as to protect the workman. My coatingchamberr is useful in such cases irrespective of whether the solvents berecovered or not.

In the drawing 1 denotes the coating chamber generally. Its shape, beingmade to correspond to the object to be coated, is shown as long andnarrow, to accommodate the aeroplane wings 2 mounted in frames 3,

using any suitable or preferred attaching devices, such as perforatedears 4 and pintles 5 and adjustable pins 6 fitting in sockets 7. The endof the casing, as best shown in Fig. 5, is provided with a hinged doorSwhich is provided with any preferred lock and gaskets (not shown), so asto render it substantially gas-tight when properly closed.

Within the casing and in line with the door is a vertical support 9, thedriving means of which will be hereinafter described. In use, the frame3 with its containedA object 2 is located upon support 9 which carriesit vertically upward across the spaces or zones where the varnishing isperformed.

The mechanism adjacent these zones constitutes an important feature ofmy inven- 1 are provided intermediateA their height with laterallyextending enlargements or side chambers 1l. Each side chamber iscomposed of a framework bearing an upper inclined transparent window 12of pyroxylin, glass or any equivalent transparent material which remainsuninjured when in contact' with the evolved vapor. The lower face ofeach member is defined by a gas-tight vinclined wall 13. The verticalintermediate face of each side chamber is provided with an elongatedhorizontal slot or opening 14, constantly covered in a substantiallygastight manner by a flexible belt 17, composed o'f any suitableimpervious material,such as heavy leather treated if necessary to makeit resistant to the vapor. Each belt passes over and is windable backand forth upon two rollers 15, supported in suitable bearings 16 uponthe frame of the chamber 1. The driving means for the belt and rollswill be hereinafter described. It is important that the edges of thebelt be constantly kept in Vsubstantially gas-tight engagement with theedges of the elongated opening 14, and I have found the followingarrangement satisfactory for this purpose.

Referring to Fig. 4, the belt 17 rests at its horizontal edges againstrounded ridges 18 on-the frame work 140 surrounding the opening 14. Theedges of the belt are kept in constant engagement with such ridges bymeans of exible plates 19 which are pushed by springs 20 against thebelt, such springs being located in pockets in the bars 22 which arefastened to the framework 140 by screws 23 which also attach plates 19.

Before passing to the rolls-15 the belt 17 A passes over and makesslight frictional contact with guides 24 (see Fig. 2).

l The belt 17 is kept in substantially gastight engagement with thevertical edges of cross bar 94. Bars 94 are attached to framel 141 byscrews 95. The sides of plates 90 embra` the sides of bars 94 to hold.said plates in position as shown in Fig. 11, and to permit them to movebodily toward the belt, such motion together with the individualmovements of sections 91, compensating for any unevenness in the belt.-

Each belt is provided with an arm hole 25 surrounded bya liexibleimpervious or -va por-resisting sleeve 26 through which the arm of theoperator may be thrust, as indicated in Fig. 6. This sleeve is ofgeneral frusto-conical shape, the larger end of it being attached aroundthe edges of the arm hole 25 by sewing, cementing or any other preferredway. In the drawing I have illustrated' it as being riveted between thebelt and the circumferential metallic band 27. 'Ihe smalle end of thesleeve may be provided with an elastic band to close it when theoperators arm is withdrawn and td make gas-tight `engagement with hisarm when it is inserted. At either side of the sleeve 26 there islocated a vertical stiiienstrip 32 which prevents the belt fromfbuckling.

rIhe coating chamber, so far described, is sucient. by itself, toprotect the workman vfrom injurious Contact with the `vapor,

. which may be allowed to escape or be withdrawn through the pipes 31 atthe bottom of the casing, each ipe having a valve 310. It is generallyprefrable, however, to connect the chamber and its exit pipes .31 withan apparatus for condensing thewithdrawn vapor. Thus in Fig. 9 I havediagrammatically indicated the e'Xit pipes 31, as connected with acondenser 29, vthe internal structure of whichvis not shown because itmay be of any of the forms well known to persons skilled in this art.For instance, the condenser 29 may be an absorption or scrubhing towerin which the vapor is removed from the gas or air by being brought intointimate contact with va solvent of such vapor; sulfuricacid being,often used to take up alcohol or ether, bisulfite li'quor beingsometimes emplOj'fd to combine with 130 ucts. But any of the knownequivalentI condensers may be substituted, of course.

The gas or air from which the vapor has been largely removed bycondenser 29, is

'discharged by fan 33 through pipe 28 into the external atmosphere or astack may be used to produce a mild draft. A slight vacuum may thus bemaintained in the system if desired.

llt is obvious that the chamber lcan usefully operate with only onecoating zone and shiftable belt.. The operator would first coatone sideof the object and then after reversing the latter would coat theremaining side. Generally, however, and particularly in the case ofaeroplane wings, it is desirable for two persons to work simultaneouslyupon opposite sides, and, therefore, in my preferred chamber I provideopposite coating zones, as indicated in Fig. 6, thus making the casingsubstantially symmetrical in cross section.l l

It will be also apparent that the belt 17 could be shifted by theoperator pulling -thereon, or by rotating some hand operated meansconnected with the rolls 15. Furthermore, the support 9 could bemanually adjusted" vertically. In practice, however, I have found itpreferable to provide for driving the parts of my apparatus from asource of power, such as a power shaft or an electric motor. Themechanism by which I accomplish this result in the preferred forni of myinvention will now be described.

A source of power, such as motor 35, is connected by pulleys 36, 37 andbelt 38 with one of the longitudinal main shafts 46, the latter beingmounted upon bearings 59 at the base of the machine. These shafts carrysprocket wheels 47 connected by chain 48 so as to turn in unison. Eachshaft 46 has clutch sleeves 49 keyed to move longitudinally thereon androtate therewith, such sleeves facing in opposite directions and beingactuated by yokes 50 carried by stub shafts 51 which are turned by arms52 carv ried thereon. these arms being connected by a cross rod 53. Thecross rods are located adjacent the belts 17 so as to be convenientlyaccessible' to the operator. The cross rod 53 in addition to being aconvenient actuating means for the clutch sleeves 49 also serves througharms 52 to keepsuch sleeves `in such spaced relation that they mayengage either of their coperating clutch collars 55 or may both belocated in an intermediate inactive position. The clutch collars 55together with 4the worms 56 carried thereby are freely rotatable onshafts 46 and operate shafts 58 through gears 57.

Shafts 58 rotate the flanged rolls 15. From this description it will beseen that an operator upon either side of the machine can, by moving theadjacent rod 53, throw in the proper clutch and move the correspondingbelt either in one direction or the other, the worms 56 on each side ofthe machine being one right handed and the other left handed as shown inFig. 1. The belt 'being pulled across opening 14, the friction of theparts is sufiicient to maintain the belt free from slack.

If some means were not provided to stop the belt automatically, unduestresses might be imposed upon the parts when the belt carries thesleeve 26 to the end of the opening 14. To guard against suchcontingency, l mount the levers 60 near the ends of the opening 14 onpivots 61 so that their lower ends may contact with the upper ends ofarms 52. The upper ends of levers 60I are curved inwardly into the pathof movement of stiffening strips 32, the parts being so a gear 45 whichdrives a coperating beveled gear 44 rotatable on cross shaft 34, thegears 44 being faced in opposite directions, so as to rotate in oppositeways. Rotating with each gear 44 is a clutch collar 43 adapted tocoperate with one of the clutch sleeves 40 keyed to rotate with, butslide longitudinally of, shaft 34. These sleeves 40 have the usualgrooves 4'1 in which fit the ends of the spacing and operating yoke 42.The latter holds the sleeves so spaced that only one of them can meshwith'its coperating collar at a time, and the dimensions are such thatin the intermediate position neither clutch o crates. Rotating withshaft 34 is a colar 62 carrying a helical spring 63 which bears againstafriction disk 64 keyed on shaft 34 and pushes the disk against acoperating friction disk 65 which turns the worm 66. Since the latter isrotatable on shaft 34, it is frictionally driven .through the disks 64and 65, thus allowing the parts to slip in case of stresses that areabove normal. Gear 67 carried on longitudinal shaft 68 beneath the mainfloor 69 of the machine is rotated by worm 66. Shaft 68 turns pinions70' meshing with racks 71 connected to support 9, the ends of the lattermoving in vertical guides 77. t*

Racks 71 enter the chamber through substantially gas-tight packingdevices shown in Fig. 8. The racks pass through openings in floor 69which is provided with packing segments 82 bearing against the rear andsides of the racks and is also provided with spring pressedpackingplates 83 carried on centrally thereon and on the frame.

rods 84 slidable in horizontal bores in the floor, said plates 83 beingpressed against link carries a4 driven by cam A shaft 78turning inbearings 75, said shaft being actuated by means of hand levers 76. Whenthe levers 76 are moved, thereby correspondingly moving the cam 73, thelink 72 and yoke 42 are shifted to bring one of the clutch sleeves 40into engagement with its collar `43, thereby rotating the shaft 34forward or backward, as the case may be, and consequently throu h thefriction disks 64:, 65 and gears 66, 6 rotating the shaft 68 to move thesupport 9 up or down through racks 71 and pinions 70. I nd it convenienttoV connect levers 76 with auxiliary levers 79, pivoted at 80 at theopposlte end of the apparatus, by means of rods 81, which, like rods 53,are located ad]acent the belts 17 where they can be conveniently reachedby` the hand of the Workman.

In the chamber I may use electric lights 82 inclosed in protectingglobes 83 to avoid re risk if the vapors be inflammable.

The operation of the apparatus 1s as follows: The support 9 being at itslowest station, the several clutches being in the neutral or inactiveposition, and the valve 310 being closed the workman opensy door 8 andslides a frame 3, containing a wing 2, onto support 9. Door 8 is `thenclosed. This opening and closing of the door does not 1n practiceinterfere with ecient solvent ref cover if the gas-tight condition ofthe cham er be restored before the coatmg begins. Valve 310 is opened.The workman,

one on each side of the chamber, then inserts an arm through the sleeve26 and applies the coating to the upper horizontal strip of the wing,shifting the belt 17 sidewise, either ste by step or continuously, bysuitably manlpulating rod 53 which contrls the belt winding mechanism.The workman next shifts rod 81 to vertically move the support 9 andbring a fresh horizontal strip of the wing into the coating zon'e. Thisstrip. is then coated, the belt being shifted horizontally as before. Byrepeating these operations the whole wing surface 1s brought into thecoating zone, a strip at a time, and completely coated, and recoated ifdesired.

While I prefer to operate as above der scribed, by alternating shortvertical movements of sup rt 9 with full movements of belt 17 backandoforth, thereby coating horizontal strips, `it is possible to coat invertical strips by alternating full movements of support 9 with shorthorizontal shifts of the'belt. If at any -time it is desirable to treatany`particular portion of the wing,-

the Workman has onlyvto shift the support 9 and belt 17 to bring such'portion where he can reach it. It may be noted that the belt acts, to acertain extent as a horizontal guide for the workmans arm. v

The coating may be applied in any suitable way such as by an ordinarybrush, or an air brush, or by a fountain brush, one of the latter beingindicated at 86 in Fig. 6. The hose 87 supplying the coating liquid tothe brush may be introduced through4 sleeve 26 with the operators arm ormay pass through a hole in the belt as shown in practice when coatingwings I find that the current of gas or air in the chamber issuiiciently evenly distributed to require no special gas directingmeans. In case irregularly shaped articles are coated, gas distributingbamesv may be readily placed in the chamber to coperate with pipe 28.

I- have shown the belt 17, drawn along a straight path between straightguides but it is clear that such a flexible shifting means can be pulledalong curved or irregularly 90 .shaped chamber walls throughcorrespondlngly shaped guides, and still act as a substantiallygas-tight closure. By substantially gas-tight I mean that the entranceof dilutin air is prevented suliiciently to insure e cient recoveryofthe solvents from the vapor.

Instead of ordinary coating it is obvious that any other manipulation ofvapor evolving compounds may be performed in my 10@ apparatus, theoperator being outside the same, such as operating molds for plasticcompounds, like pyroxylin. Therefore I use coatlng 1n a generic senseinthe following claims.

By detlecting the ends of the slide or belt 17 about rolls l5, theapparatus requires much less room, than it would if the ends` prpgectedstraight out.

avmg thus described my invention, what I claim' and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the United States, is: v

l'. apparatus for coating with vaporevolvlng compositions, comprising acoating chamber, and a substantiallygas-tight device shiftable along awall of said chamber while permitting manual ,access through l saiddevice to the interior thereof.

2. apparatus for coating with vaporevolving compositions, comprising acoating chamber, a` substantially gas-tight device shiftable along awall of said chamber while permltting manual access through sa-id deviceto the interior thereof and means for shifting said device.

apparatus for coating with vapor evolving composltions, comprising acoa-ting chamber having an opening in a wall thereof, a slide movableacross said opening but throughout its movement substantially `13-movable in said closing said opening, and a substantially gas-tightdevice on said slide permitting manual access through said device to theinterior of said chamber from the exterior thereof. i v

4:. An apparatus for coating with vapor evolving compositions,comprising a coating chamber having an opening in a Wall thereof, aslide movable across and closing said opening, a substantially gas-tightdevice on `said slide permitting the operator to manually control thecoating in said chamber through said device `from the exterior thereof,and manually controlled power driven means for moving said slide.

5. An apparatus for coating with vaporevolving compositions, comprisinga coating chamber having an opening in a Wall theref, a flexible slidemovable across said opening in substantially gas-tight connection withthe edges of said opening, a substantially gas-tight device on saidslide permitting manual access through said device to the interior ofsaid chamber and means for moving said slide.

6. An apparatus for coating With vaporevolving compositions comprising acoating chamber lhaving an opening in a Wall thereof, a flexible belthaving an arm hole therein and movable across said opening, yieldingdevices for pressing the belt into substantially gas-tight contact Withthe edges of said opening, and a 'flexible sleeve surrounding said armhole.

7. An apparatus for coating with vapor-` evolving compositions,comprising a coating chamber, a substantially gas-tight devicepermitting the operator to manually control through said device thecoating of an object from the exterior of the chamber, and a support forthe object movable in the chamber relative to said device.

8. A11 apparatus for coating with vaporevolving compositions, comprisinga coating chamber, a substantially gas-tight device shiftable along aWall of said chamber While permitting manual access through said deviceto the interior thereof, and a support chamber relative to said device.

9. An apparatus for coating with vaporevolving compositions, comprisinga coating chamber, a substantially gas-tight device shiftable along aWall of said chamber while permitting manual access through said deviceto the interior thereof, means for shifting said device, a supportmovable in said chamber relative to said device, and means for movingsaid support.

10. An apparatus'for coating with vaporevolving compositions, comprisinga coating chamber having an opening in a Wall thereof, a'slide movableacrossand closing opening, a substantially gas-tight device on saidslide permitting the operator to manually control through said devicethe coating in said chamber from the exterior thereof, manuallycontrolled means for moving said slide, a support movable in saidchamber relative to said slide, and manually controlled. means formoving said support.

11. An apparatus for coating with vaporevolving compositions, comprisinga coating chamber, a substantially gas-tight device shiftable along aWall of said chamber while permitting manual access through said debutthroughout its movement substantially closing said opening, asubstantially gastiglit device on said slide permitting manual accessthrough said device to the interior of said chamber from the exteriorthereof, and a gas-tight transparent Window in the Wall of said chamberabove said slide.

13. An apparatus for coating with vaporevolving compositions, comprisinga coating chamber, a substantially gas-tight device permitting theoperator to manually control through said device the coating of anobJect from the exterior of the chamber, a support for the objectmovable in the chamber relative to said device, and a 'Window in thechamber adjacent said device.

14C. An apparatus for coating with vaporevolving compositions,comprising a coating chamber, a substantially gas-tight device'sliiftable along a wall of said chamber while ^the interior of thecasing.

15. An apparatus for coating with vaporevolving compositions, comprisinga coating chamber having an openin in a Wall thereof, and means forsubstantially closing said opening during the coating operation, saidmeans including a device shiftable along said wall across said openingand permitting the operator to manually control the coating in saidchamber through said device from the exterior thereof. V

16. An apparatus for coating with vaporevolving compositions, comprisinga coating chamber having an opening in a Wall thereof, rolls at oppositesides of said opening, a belt connected to said rolls and movable acrossbut substantially closing said opening, a substantially gas-tight deviceon said belt permitting man ual access through said device to theinterior of said chamber, a source of power, and manually controlledconnections between said source of power and said rolls. i

17. An apparatus for coating with vaporevolving compositions, comprisinga coating chamber, a substantially gas-tight .device shiftable along aWall of said chamber While permitting manual access' through said deviceto the interior thereof, a window in a W-all of said chamber adjacentsaid device, and means for illuminating the interior of the chamber.

18. An apparatus for coating with vaporevolving compositions, comprisinga coating chamber having an opening" in the wall thereof, a slidemovable across said opening but throughout its movement closing opening,a substantially gas-tight device on said slide and movabletherewith fromone side of said opening to the other and permitting manual accessthrough said'device to the-interior of said chamber from the exn teriorthereof, means for moving said slide,

and means for automatically stopping the l movement of the slide whenthedevice nears a side of said opening. c

19. An apparatusfor coating with vaporevolving compositions, comprlsinga coating chamber, a substantially Agas-tight device movable betweenlimits along a Wall of said chamber' While permitting manual accessthrough said device to the interior thereof, and means for automaticallystopping movement of said device upon reaching said limits..

20.- An apparatus for coating with vaporevolving compositions,comprising a coating chamber, a substantially gas-tight device movablealong a wall of said chamber while permitting manual access through saiddevice to the interior thereoiing said device, and a member on-.thedevice controlling said mea-ns.-

21. An apparatus for'coating with vapor- 'evolving compositions,comprising a coating chamber, 'and substantially gas-tight devices saidmeans for mov-- in the opposite Walls thereof shiftable independentlyalong said Walls While permitting manual access through said devicetherethrough to the opposite sides of an object contained in saidchamber.

22. An apparatus for coating with vaporevolving compositions, comprisinga coating chamber, a substantially gas-tightl device shiftable in adefined path along a Wall of said chamber While permitting manual accessthrough said device to the interior thereof, and a support in saidchamber ad-'.

justable in a direction at an angle to said path of the device.. ,y

23.- An apparatus for coating with vapor'- evolving compositions,comprising a coating chamber, a substantially gas-tight device shiftablehorizontally along a Wall of said chamber while permitting manual accessYthrough said device to the interior thereof,

and a vertically.adjustablesupport in said chamber. p

24:." An apparatus for coating With vaporevolving compositions,comprising a chamber having an opening in a Wall thereof, a flexibledevice movable across said`1 opening but throughout its movementsubstantially lclosing said opening While permitting through said deviceto the interior of said chamber, and means at the en ds of said wall fordeiecting the en ds of said device into al substantially non-projectionposition. l

Signed at Rochester, New York, this 5thv day 'of April 1918.

JoHN G. Jonas.

